Fixture assemblies for underfloor exhaust removal systems



April 1, 1969 R. E. CAPSTRAN 3,

FIXTURE ASSEMBLIES FOR UNDERFLOOR EXHAUST REMOVAL SYSTEMS Filed May 11, 1967 m I w INVENTOR RICHARD E. CAPSTRAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,435,752 FIXTURE ASSEMBLIES FOR UNDERFLOOR EXHAUST REMOVAL SYSTEMS Richard E. Capstran, 3813 N. 35th St., Milwaukee, Wis. 53216 Filed May 11, 1967, Ser. No. 637,744 Int. Cl. F24f 7/04 U.S. Cl. 98-42 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A floor fixture for the hose and adapter of an exhaust removal system wherein there is a self-storing nonremovable, slidable cover which can be moved vertically, with one simple motion, from stored position to closing position, or vice versa, there being a hose guiding tube and saddle assembly adjustably connected to the lower end of the floor fixture to permit adjustment and proper alignment of the floor fixture with the finished floor grade, the hose guiding tube being at a preset angle and having its lower end projecting into an opening in the top of an underfloor air duct while it is supported by a saddle portion which is curved to fit on top of the air duct.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the inventin.The present invention is used in garages and service stations in connection with underfloor exhaust removal systems of the type having hoses with exhaust pipe adapters which are connectible to the tailpipes of automobiles to remove the exhaust gases while the engine is running during servicing.

Description of the prior art.-Underfloor exhaust removal systems as heretofore 'used have employed floor fixtures for housing the tailpipe adapters when not in use. Where doors have been employed on the fixtures they have been hinged doors. It was found that the hinged doors were often left open with the result that they frequently became broken, sometimes by cars 'being driven over them. Also in prior fixture assemblies, it has been necessary to use relatively short lengths of underfloor air ducts of tile or other material so as to provide Y-branches to which the floor fixtures could be connected by means of still additional tile sections, such as elbows. This arrangement was a complicated installation as it required the use of special underfloor tile sections, and also there was diificulty in making the top of the floor fixture come out even with the finished grade.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a fixture assembly which eliminates the necessity of employing special underfloor tile for the air exhaust line, making'it possible to use straight underfloor ducts without the necessity of employing Ys. In addition, the present invention provides a simple closure for the floor fixture which is self-storing when the exhaust hose is being used, and which makes it impossible to leave the door projecting above the floor level.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in con junction with the improved floor fixture, an improved saddle assembly which makes installation a simple matter and which makes it easy to adjust the members so that the floor fixture is properly positioned with respect to the finished grade.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fixture assembly as above described in which the floor fixture is both axially and rotatably adjustable on the hose guiding tube of the saddle assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ar rangement as above described wherein there is novel guiding means for guiding the cover to a stored position, and in which there is no interference with the hose adapter when the latter is in lowered position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fixture assembly as above described wherein there is a novel guide pin arrangement which guides the cover in its movements, and also prevents removal. Thus the cover is always convenient for use to prevent dirt and grease from getting into the fixture recesses, and also to prevent workers from getting a foot caught in the opening, with resulting injury.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved fixture assembly for underfloor exhaust removal systems, and all of its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing, wherein the same reference numerals designate the same or similar parts in all of the views:

FIG. 1 is a view of the underfloor assembly principally in longitudinal vertical section, part of the underfloor air duct being shown in full, as well as the saddle fitting thereon, and the dotted lines showing the adapter and hose partially pulled out;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the floor fixture alone, the door being in stored position but being shown by dotted lines in partially raised position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the saddle assembly alone;

FIG. 4 is a view of the flexible hose and adapter;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 55 of FIG. l,'the adapter being in stored position and the door being in its open, stored position;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detail view showing the retention means at the rear of the cover.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates the garage floor, usually of cement as illustrated, said floor having a finished grade as at 11. Extending horizontally below the floor is an underfloor air duct 12 which may be formed of asbestos cement or other suitable material. The saddle assembly comprises a saddle 13 which is curved in cross-section, as is clear from FIG. 3, to fit the curvature of the air duct 12 in the manner shown in FIG. 1. The saddle assembly includes a hose guiding tube 14 which extends through an oval opening 15 in the top of the saddle 13. The tube 14 is welded in the opening 15 of the saddle 13 while it is disposed at a suitable angle, such as the 45 angle shown. This arrangement eliminates the necessity of using special underfloor tile sections, such as the Y-branch sections to which floor fixtures have heretofore been connected.

The floor fixture 9 comprises complementary half sections 1616 which are bolted together as at 17 to form the assembled fixture. When bolted together, the sections provide an underfloor box portion of rectangular crosssection having a top opening 18 disposed at a 45 angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the box portion. The opening 18 is surrounded by a projecting flange 19 forming a frame for the opening. Two of the side walls of the box portion are grooved as at 20 (see FIG. to form side slots within which the cover 21 may slide to stored position. In front of the slots and near the upper end thereof are inwardly projecting lugs 22. These lugs are engaged by lugs 23 projecting from the inner face of the cover when the cover is fully extended in an outward direction, to prevent complete removal of the cover. When the cover is raised to the closing position shown in FIG. 1, its sides are guided by and roll up over the tops of the lugs 22, as is clear from FIG. 1, the extreme rear edge of the cover being beveled rearwardly on its top and slightly overlapped in the closed position of FIG. 1 (see FIG. 7) by the edge 24 of the frame which, in conjunction with the interference between the pins 22 and 23, prevents removal of the cover. At the same time it is apparent that when a finger is inserted in the finger recess 25 at the front of the cover to raise the cover upwardly, as soon as the cover has been raised a short distance the cover will slide by itself to the stored position of FIG. 5 under the influence of gravity. The cover is preferably formed with top openings 26 so that, when the cover is closed, the exhaust flow in the air duct 12. can act to withdraw air and gases from the garage, even when the device is not actually connected to the tailpipe of a car. When closed, the cover rests on the side ledges 40 (FIG. 6).

The complementary sections 16-16 have tubular extensions 16' which cooperate to form a tube of a size to telescopically receive the upper end of the hose tube 14 of the saddle assembly, as shown in FIG. 1. When the saddle 13 is in position on the air duct 12, the floor fixture may he slid up and down and rotated until it fits the floor grade and contour. The set screws 28' may be tightened to hold the saddle assembly and floor fixture in proper assembled position, as in FIG. 1. It is to be noted that there is a shoulder area 29 (see FIG. 6) at the bottom of the rectangular cross-section portion of the floor fixture for limiting inward movement of the adapter 30 for the exhaust hose 31.

Projecting from the lower end of the saddle assembly is a curved metal strip 32 forming a hose guide to guide the hose into stored position, as in FIG. 1, and cause its end to change its direction of travel to a direction axial of the air duct 12 as it is being pushed in. Within the floor fixture are spaced, axially extending ribs 34 which maintain the adapter out of interfering position with the door when the adapter is in stored position, the ribs 34 projecting around the corner radii of the adapter a sufficient distance to prevent the adapter from being inserted too close to the door.

Use of the device As before brought out, the saddle assembly and the floor fixture maybe assembled quickly without necessitating the use of any special tile sections for the air duct 12. Instead, straight standard lengths, preferably of asbestoscement, may be employed and it is merely necessary to cut holes at selected locations along its top to receive the extension portions 14' of the hose tubes. Each floor fixture may be assembled on the upper end of a saddle assembly and moved up and down and rotated until the frame 19 of its top conforms to the floor grade 11 and contour. The set screws 28 may then be tightened. This installation is preferably made during the building of the garage or service station.

When the device is to be used, it is merely necessary to insert the finger in the finger opening 25 of the cover, raise the cover up a short distance, and then let go. It will automatically slide from a position such as the dotted line position of FIG. 2 to a stored position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The adapter 30 may then be grasped to pull the adapter and hose out .of the opening prior to attaching the adapter to the exhaust pipe of an automobile which is being serviced. When the exhaust device is no longer needed the hose and adapter are lowered past the full line position of FIG. 1 until the adapter bottoms on the shoulders 29. Then, as the hand completes the lowering of the adapter 30 into stored position, the finger can engage the finger recess 33 on the underside of the cover to pull it up to closed position as the hand is being withdrawn. It is apparent that with this procedure it is impossible to leave the door open, as the door will automatically fall to either closed position or to stored position. The weight distribution is such that it will not hold itself in partially opened position. Thus there is no danger of damage to the door such as occurs when the usual hinged doors are left open.

It is apparent that the novel adapter assembly which is built vtu'th the hose tube 14 at a 45 angle, eliminates the necessity of employing special underfloor tile with Y- extensions, and makes it simple to adjust the floor mixture to the finished grade. Furthermore, the cover is so guided when being moved from closed to open position, or vice versa, that it is self-storing, nonremovable, and incapable of being left in partially withdrawn position. The arrangement is such as to permit the use of a crushproof hose.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an underfloor exhaust removal system capable of use with a generally horizontal air duct below the floor of a building which is devoid of branches and which has an opening in an upper portion of a horizontal stretch, the improvement comprising a hose guiding tube having a rigidly connected saddle portion through which the guiding tube extends at an oblique angle, said saddle portion adapted to rest on the top of said horizontal stretch of the air duct while a lower portion of the hose guiding tube projects obliquely through the opening into said horizontal stretch of the air duct at an oblique angle to the axis of said portion of the air duct which has the opening, a floor fixture having a lower opening and having an upper receptacle portion with a top opening, said floor fixture being supported with its top opening substantially flush with the finish grade of said building floor and with its bottom opening in communication with the upper end of the hose guiding tube, a flexible hose movably guided in said hose guiding tube with its lower end projecting into the air duct, and an adapter on the upper end of said hose removably accommodated in the receptacle portion of said floor fixture.

2. An underfloor exhaust removal system as claimed in claim 1 in which the floor fixture is adjustably connected directly to the upper end of the obliquely extending hose guiding tube.

3. An underfloor exhaust removal system as claimed in claim 1 in which there is a hose guiding strip projecting from the lower side of the lower end of the hose guiding tube beneath the hose and curving into the air duct in a direction to guide the inner end of the hose to a position where it extends longitudinally of the air duct.

4. An underfloor exhaust removal system as claimed in claim 1 in which the supporting portion of the hose guiding tube is a saddle plate which is convex in transverse cross-section and shaped to conform to the curvature of the air duct.

5. In an underfloor exhaust removal system, a floor fixture for removably receiving the adapter of an exhaust hose, said fixture having side Walls and having an upper end opening substantially at the finish grade of the build- 5 ing floor, the improvement comprising a door for closing said opening, and means in said floor fixture for slidably guiding said door to a stored position within the fixture and below the finish grade adjacent one of said side walls of the floor fixture.

6. An underfloor exhaust removal system as claimed in claim 5 in which there are oppositely disposed slots in the floor fixture for slidably guiding said door to stored position and in which there are cooperating pin members on the upper portion of the fixture and inner end of the door positioned to so coact with one another as to serve as a hinge after the door has been raised and while it is being moved to closed position.

7. An underfloor exhaust removal system as claimed in claim 6 in which the inner end of the door is slightly overlapped by the margin of the top opening of the floor fixture when the door is closed and in which the coaction of the pins serves in conjunction with said overlap to prevent removal of the door when it is in closed position. 8. An underfloor exhaust removal system as claimed in claim 5 in which there is means in the fixture for maintaining the stored adapter in a position where sliding movement of the door is not interfered with.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,112,681 10/1914 Crane 98--115 X 2,733,668 2/1956 Pfetzing 285-189 X 2,990,198 6/1961 Imming 285189 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

